Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Winter In Spring

All Friday afternoon we got freezing rain and sleet. Everything was coated in a thick layer of ice. Then by Friday evening it mostly turned to snow. We were on the edge between ice and snow so we didn't get the huge amounts of snow like some areas of Kansas (28 inches!). It snowed and snowed and Saturday morning when we got up, it looked like it had stopped. That however, was temporary, as it began to snow heavily again, continuing all morning. Our grand total was about 7 inches of snow.

Brrr! Doesn't this picture make you cold? Saturday afternoon, while the twins and Joseph were napping, Dan and Catherine went out to play. You know that sled I bought last month while it was warm? Well, it got put to use on our lone hill. It may not be a giant hill, but it was exciting for the kids.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

After the rest of them woke up, I got them all bundled up in their snowpants and coats and hats and mittens and scarves and boots. Whew! Dan helped them all go sledding down the hill. Joseph thought it was great fun to lay on his tummy and slide, slide, slide. Here they are, heading back to the front of the house. The wind was so strong and cold they couldn't sled for long. Dan got a workout pulling the kids around on the sled. The boys are catching a ride this time. Notice the ice-encrusted trees. Beautiful.

Safely out of that frigid north wind, Joseph had to stop and taste the snow. Mmm!

Dan had rolled up a huge ball of snow for the bottom of a snowman, so the kids set to work adding more snow and smoothing it out to make it round.

Joseph decided he was going to watch from the sled, so Catherine brought him a hoeful of snow to play with.

Meanwhile, Dominic kept disappearing, and finally one time when he reappeared, I asked him what he was doing. He said, "Picking icicles!" Here is what is left of the one he was currently munching on. Hey, that's a cheap snack! Then they all helped roll up the middle section and the head, and here Dan has just put on the head. And one arm. He had to go on a hunt to find another stick for the other arm.

And here is Mr. Snowman! Dan outdid himself on this one, I have to say.